This message on this shirt was inspired, in part, by Jim Dumoulin's
signature line. Jim is one of the developers of the public domain newsreader
WinVN,
written by NASA
employees in their spare time (and a fine product indeed, I might
add...)

Although it's not something one can easily see from their own perspective on
the Earth's surface, we do actually live on a small planet. The resources are
limited, and the growing population is already putting a heavy strain on them
in many places. This will not get better as long as we are solely dependent
on what we have available here at home. Humanity has been growing at such a
rate that, if we don't either stop the growth, or tap greater resources, there
will be widespread shortages of such simple necessities as food, air, and
water. Most people want this year to be better than last year, next year to
be better than this year, and so forth. In order for that to happen, we have
to grow - which means we need resources that are not presently available -
because they don't exist here on Earth.

Opponents of space exploration often state that we should solve our problems
at home before we try going into space. That is not possible: We
don't have the resources necessary here on Earth to solve the world's
problems. Besides, many of the innovations that dramatically improve our
general condition were invented as a result of solving a problem encountered
at a frontier - and that trend will continue - but only if we have a frontier
to explore and adapt to. Humanity needs a frontier to survive,
not only for the technological advances it will bring, but because our spirit
needs to have a place to escape to when the conditions at home seem too hard
to bear.

Back: ASK ABOUTOFFWORLDJOBS

A great deal of progress has been made toward developing the next frontier
that space represents. Humans have traveled to another planet, we have sent
probes beyond the limits of the known parts of the Solar System, and
satellites provide us with information, entertainment and communications in
our everyday lives.

However, in spite of the progress we've seen, there is still a long way
to go before space is a frontier and the set of resources that it could be.
In leaving the task of developing space programs to the world's governments,
the public has missed some great opportunities. When Sputnik was launched in
1957, the science fiction community was predicting routine travel to the Moon
and colonies on Mars by the end of the century. That could have been
possible - except that we stopped going once a handful of men had walked on
the Moon.

If Henry Ford had waited for government grants, subsidies and contracts the
way the aerospace industry is today, we'd be walking through rivers of horse
manure in our cities, rather than being able to drive across continents in a
week or less. The automobile industry was built by private investors who
recognized a need, and built a product to meet it. That same initiative is
going to be necessary if the general public is to ever have a chance to get
into space. Now is the time for private industry to wake up and say
"Look, guys, this is the way you do it" - and to build a space program
based on profits, not government handouts.

Building such a profit-based space program is the primary objective of the
L5 Development Group, Inc. One of
the results that building a profitable space program will bring is it will
CREATE JOBS. There will be lots of jobs in "traditional" industries -
such as construction, hotels, and manufacturing - but also ones that have
never been seen before - such as on-orbit satellite repair technician.
If you want to know more, or be part of the effort, be sure to visit the L5
Development Group site.

Part of the price of this shirt (US$ 10.00) goes directly to funding the L5
Development space program. We are also offering additional quantity
discounts to individuals or businesses that would like to help sell these
shirts, to provide more revenue for L5 Development. (Please note that the
minimum order to qualify for the discount price is 5 shirts.) In any
case, your purchase will help support privately funded space exploration and
development.

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